British heavy metal legends SAXON will release a covers album, "Inspirations", on March 19 via Silver Lining Music. The 11-track effort contains some of the superb classic rock songs that influenced Biff Byford and the rest of the band. The LP's second single, a cover of "Speed King", DEEP PURPLE's classic tune from the 1970 ...
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Legendary punk band DESCENDENTS has released a new song called "That's The Breaks". The track follows the politically charged two-song single "Suffrage", released ahead of the 2020 general election encouraging voting to take down the Trump administration. In triumph, "That's The Breaks" serves as a farewell to 45 ahead of the upcoming inauguration. DESCENDENTS vocalist ...
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In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann spoke about where his band fits in within heavy metal's various subgenres. He said (hear audio below): "I don't really ever know what to do with all these labels, to be honest. I don't even know we would be. I ...
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QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Todd La Torre spoke to Mike Brunn about his upcoming debut solo album, "Rejoice In The Suffering", which will be released on February 5 via Rat Pak Records. "It's been a long time coming; I've talked about doing a solo record for a very long time," Todd said (hear audio below). "And so ...
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NIGHTWISH's longtime bassist/vocalist Marko "Marco" Hietala has announced his departure from the band. Hietala issued a statement earlier today in which he said: "Dear people. I am leaving NIGHTWISH and my public life. "For a quite a few years now I haven't been able to feel validated by this life. We have streaming company big ...
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ICED EARTH singer Stu Block has clarified a social media post he made last week that suggested he was supporting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. On January 6, Stu, the Canadian-born vocalist who has fronted ICED EARTH since 2011, appeared to take pleasure in the grim images out of Washington during the pro-Donald Trump ...
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ESCAPE THE FATE has released the new song "Not My Problem", featuring Travis Barker on drums, from the upcoming album "Chemical Warfare", out April 16. The collaboration with the producer, songwriter, and renowned drummer came about through the band's producer John Feldmann. Feldmann made the introduction, and Barker supplied the driving backbeat of the song. ...
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German metallers BLIND GUARDIAN — whose frontman, Hansi Kürsch, shares a long-running project with ICED EARTH's Jon Schaffer, DEMONS & WIZARDS — have released the following statement regarding the violence and destruction of property at the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday (January 6): "We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are ...
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"White Flag", a new song from KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's LOVE AND DEATH project, can be streamed below. The track, features special guest Ryan Hayes, is taken LOVE AND DEATH's upcoming album, "Perfectly Preserved", which will arrive on February 12 via Earache Records. The disc is described in a press release as "a blistering ...
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During an appearance on a video podcast hosted by Todd Kerns, the bassist of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus talked about what it was like to work with Buckethead for a couple of years in the early 2000s. The eccentric musician (real name Brian Carroll), who wears ...
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INFINITE VISIONS, the band formed by ex-STRATOVARIUS guitarist and songwriter Timo Tolkki, has has called it quits after failing to raise sufficient funds to record its debut album. The group said in a statement: "Unfortunately, as INFINITE VISIONS did not meet its crowdfunding goal there will be no album and the band will not continue. ...
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On Monday, January 4, the metal world was shocked to hear about the passing of Alexi Laiho, former frontman of CHILDREN OF BODOM, at the age of only 41. As a tribute to both Laiho and late DEATH mainman Chuck Schuldiner, journalist and author Björn "Nalle" Österman thought it would be fitting to release two ...
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Veteran Arizona thrashers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM are putting the finishing touches on their new album for a tentative late spring/early summer release. Over the weekend, guitarist Michael Gilbert told The Metal Voice about the upcoming follow-up to "The End Of Chaos" (see video below): "It was supposed to come out in ...
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BLACK SABBATH drumming legend, poet and artist Bill Ward will unveil his first art piece in nearly five years, "Lays The Burden, Dead", on January 25. A gripping and multi-faceted work crafted during an unprecedented year, "Lays The Burden, Dead" is more than a massive offering of visual art. It is a unique and highly ...
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2020 has been a difficult year for many, including musicians. Relying heavily on live performances as a source of income, the arrival of COVID-19 meant that performing in person for a live audience was out of the question. In response to the struggle that many musicians are currently facing, the Kyle Pavone Foundation worked with ...
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George Lynch has once again explained his decision to retire the LYNCH MOB band name, saying he "got tired of rationalizing it." Last August, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB, apparently due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he will no longer record or perform under that name. In a new ...
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Former CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho has passed away. The Finnish guitarist/vocalist died in his home in Helsinki last week. The 41-year-old had suffered from long-term health issues in the years leading up to his death. Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the ...
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In a new interview with Drew Stone of The New York Hardcore Chronicles, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe reflected on his ordeal in a Czech Republic prison and his subsequent acquittal after he was accused of causing a fan's death by pushing him off stage. Randy, who is also an author and photographer, said ...
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On the January 1 edition of their "More Nights With Deth" Internet broadcast, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and his trusty sidekick Thom Hazaert discussed and previewed their plans for the New Year, plus nerded out with special guests, including rock photographer and VFX guru Neil A. Lim Sang, whose IMDB reads like a pop culture ...
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Swedish metallers GHOST have shared an end-of-year Facebook update indicating that announcements about new music and live shows will be forthcoming in the next few months. The Tobias Forge-fronted act has been working on "several big things" for 2021 and will be issuing sporadic updates throughout the year. The full message from A Nameless Ghoul, ...
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In the latest issue of Classic Rock magazine, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich promised the follow-up to 2016's "Hardwired...To Self Destruct" will be the best album he and his bandmates have ever made. "It's the heaviest thing, the coolest," Ulrich said. "But all kidding aside, if it wasn't because we thought that ...
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The year 2020 won't be remembered fondly for a myriad of reasons, but for fans of melodic hard rock, the year was especially devastating. The reason? It was a 12-month drought that featured no new original music by Erik Martensson, the Swedish singer / guitarist / producer who's arguably the genre's most prolific, and most ...
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The makers of Ghost, the hand-crafted British ultra-premium vodka, appear to have won the legal battle against GHOST leader Tobias Forge over the sale of their product. Earlier this year, Ghost Drinks Ltd. was sued by the Swedish occult rock band over the use of the name. Since GHOST had also marketed a gin using ...
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METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich is featured in Rolling Stone's "So, How Was Your 2020?", a series in which the magazine's favorite entertainers answer its questionnaire about the music, culture and memorable moments that shaped their year. Asked which old-favorite album he returned to for comfort this year, Lars said: "ALICE IN ...
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During an appearance on the latest episode of "Offstage With DWP", ASKING ALEXANDRIA singer Danny Worsnop discussed his decision to leave the band back in January 2015, a year and a half after the release of ASKING ALEXANDRIA's third studio album, "From Death To Destiny". He said (see video below): "There were a lot of ...
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A month ago, SYSTEM OF A DOWN released "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", the band's first new songs in 15 years. The tracks were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, the latter aided by Turkey and accountable for the greatest violence the region has endured in 26 years. Produced by ...
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NASUM's origins were humble. The band was born in 1992 from NECRONY's ashes in Örebro, a 13th century city nestled within the center of Sweden. The now defunct band's members are humble, and yet the Swedish act has left an indelible mark upon the face of extreme music. They will be remembered as one of ...
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British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, will release a new studio album, "War Within Me", on April 9, 2021. All songs were written and produced by Blaze and guitarist Chris Appleton. The LP was mastered by Ade Emsley and features art design by Akirant Illustration. "War ...
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SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian has confirmed to Rolling Stone that his previously announced solo collection of rock songs, "Elasticity", will finally be released in February. The EP will arrive three months after the release of "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", SYSTEM OF A DOWN's first new songs in 15 years. The ...
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Producer Andrew Watt, who worked on Ozzy Osbourne's latest album, "Ordinary Man", has confirmed to Guitar World that he and the BLACK SABBATH legend have begun collaborating on a follow-up effort. "We're about halfway through," he said. "But, you know, it's been hard with COVID and everything to keep him safe. ...
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